Deumer Kriegsabzeichen für Minensuch?

[alikat]

I have seen this minesweeper badge with horizontal pin for sale. It looks like a Deumer from others I have seen, but I think the feathers look a little iffy. There appears to have been a crude attempt to remove the swastika at some time, and the plating is pretty worn. Any thoughts?

[Adrian]

Hello Al,
An original Deumer badge in zinc, version 1.2.5 in the classification table on page two of this thread. As you say, a crude attempt at removing the swastika which didn't go well and I'm not entirely convinced the gold finish is the original one either, it looks like paint to me but it might be the flash making it look worse. These are quite a common variant to find so my advice would be to look for an untouched one, unless this badge is really cheap.
Here's mine for comparison albeit with a replaced catch......

[Glenn66]

I can't comment on the badge itself as this is not my area of interest but it does concern me when I see a partial de-nazification. Let's be real, removing, filing or grinding a little piece of zink is not the hardest job in the world is it? You either do it or you don't. To 1/2 do it and then give up? Why?

More likely it is an attempt to lend some credibility to the piece IMO and that is never a good sign. I'd say pass based on that alone.

[Adrian]

To be fair, Glenn does have a point. That shiny zinc makes me think the attempt to de-nazify the badge didn't happen that long ago.

[alikat]

He is asking $175, which is cheap BUT Lakeside has a beautiful Deumer like Adrian's for $395.

[Adrian]

Still too expensive for a de-nazified badge IMO. I've just seen two zinc Deumers on a European site for €140 and €150 respectively which works out at roughly $185-$195. Ten bucks more for an original and untouched badge. I know which I would go for.

[alikat]

Hi Adrian, what site was that please?

[Norm F]

He is asking $175, which is cheap BUT Lakeside has a beautiful Deumer like Adrian's for $395.

Hi Al,

I agree with all the comments. It's a real Deumer but heavily worn and then messed with, and overpriced to boot.

As Adrian says, these zinc Deumers are one of the most common zinc Minesweepers around and easy to find, albeit usually quite worn. Paul at Lakesidetrader is a good honest dealer and expert in daggers, etc. but I think he's still learning about KM badges and quite frankly (and honestly) made a mistake in the pricing of that zinc Deumer. My guess is he may have learned that the Tombak version of this badge is uncommon (which is true) and mistakenly applied that description and price to the common zinc version.

Here's another 1.2.5 for comparison which came with an LDO cellophane envelope.

Cheers.
---Norm

[alikat]

Thanks.